In 2011, the Amateur Competition brought together a diverse
group of 72 of the world's finest non-professional pianists,
ranging in age from 35 to 79 years old. They represented 18
nationalities and hailing from 11 different countries including:
Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico,
the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Representing a broad range of occupations and professions, the
competition featured performances by attorneys, physicians,
business executives, and architects, as well as by a retired
dancer, a jeweler, a screenwriter, a kindergarten teacher, and a
Formula One race car designer, among others.
Click here to view images of the competitors.
2011 COMPETITORS
Listed by country of residence with profession and country
of birth (if different from country of residence)
* Previous competitor
Y YouTube Winner
AUSTRALIA
Iona Luke, Attorney (Hong Kong)
BRAZIL
*José Mauro Peixoto, Portfolio Manager
CANADA
*Jun Fujimoto, Marketing Specialist
*Leslie Myrick, Hospital Administrator (retired) (USA)
Matthew A. Tingle, Business Executive
FRANCE
Vincent Letourmy, Project Manager at Thales Group
GERMANY
Atsutaka Manabe, Physicist (Japan)
*Eberhard Zagrosek, Physicist (retired)
ITALY
Andrea Terenzi, Dentist
JAPAN
Hajime Kobayashi, Management Consultant
Kazuyuki Ohmura, Software Engineering Manager
*Reiko Osawa, Homemaker
Yoko Taruki, Kindergarten Teacher
Takanori Yamato, Retail Sales Promotions Manager
MEXICO
Jorge Zamora, Distribution Manager in Telecommunications
UNITED
KINGDOM
Andrea De Tomas, Attorney (Italy)
Dominic Piers Smith, Team Leader in Aerodynamics for Mercedes
Formula One Team
UNITED
STATES
Alabama
*Debra Saylor, Vocal Instructor
Arizona
*Mark Fuller, Attorney
Arkansas
Utako Tanigawa, Senior Director of IT Portfolio Management
(Japan)
California
*Brad Arington, Attorney
Nazeli Atayan Rohman-Flynn, Homemaker (Armenia)
*Ken Iisaka, Internet Start-up Entrepreneur & Consultant
(Japan)
Alex Leow, Physician/Physician Scientist (Taiwan)
Yvonne Liu, Early Childhood Music Educator (China)
*Esfir Ross, Dental Assistant (Moldova)
Mari Shiokawa (Jacobson) , Homemaker (Japan)
Shi-Chin Yvonne Tsai, Pediatrician (China)
YChoo Hooi (Janice) Khoo, Medical Practice Manager
(Malaysia)
Connecticut
Daniel Bertram, Parent
*Dave Duebendorfer, Investment Manager
Pablo Eizayaga, Banker (Argentina)
Larry Harris, Investment Manager (retired)
District of Columbia
*Victor Dyni, Music Librarian (retired)
Alexandre Leite, Investment/Project Finance Professional
(Brazil/Germany)
Florida
Martha Chestnut Hartman, Management Consultant (retired)
Georgia
Christopher Sarzynski, Physician
Hawaii
Mari Yoshihara, Professor of American Studies (Japan)
Illinois
*Janet Underhill, Music Teacher (retired)
Maryland
*Thomas A. Maurice, Purchasing Manager (Canada)
YChristopher Shih, Physician
Massachusetts
Angela Lee Tien, Homemaker
Minnesota
Joseph Mercuri, Hospitalist Physician
Stephen Stouder, Account Executive at UnitedHealthcare
Montana
Larry Masterson, Physician Assistant
New York
Victor Buckman, Computer Systems Director (retired)
*Mark Cannon, Psychiatrist (Germany)
*Seth Darst, Professor of Molecular Biophysics
Mari Ito, Architect (Japan)
North Carolina
*Al Thomas, Real Estate Appraiser
Ohio
Vincent Schmithorst, Research Scientist
Oklahoma
J. Spencer Thompson, Radiation Oncologist
Oregon
Darlene Cusick, Piano Teacher (retired) and Church Organist
Judy Darst, Piano Teacher (retired)
John A. DeRuntz, Jr., Mathematician, Scientist, and Professor
(retired)
Pennsylvania
Barry Coutinho, Family Physician (India)
*Lori Gilbert, Advertising Sales
Texas
*Anne Blakeney, Homemaker
*J. Michael Brounoff, U.S. Administrative Law Judge
Christine Cheng, Physician (Taiwan)
*Mark Graham, Health Care Worker
*Robin Green, Attorney (retired)
*Clark Griffith, Database Programmer (retired)
*Marisa Naomi Haines, Teacher of AP Statistics (Brazil)
*David Hibbard, Railroad Manager (retired)
Denise Humphrey, Clinical Psychologist
Leticia Martinez, Criminal Prosecutor
*James Raphael, Fine Jeweler, Real Estate, Salon Owner
Paul Rutschmann, Adjunct Instructor of European and German
History
Utah
Jane Gibson King, Homemaker
Madalyn Bingham Taylor, Homemaker & Co-owner of family tire
business
Washington
Valentina Rodov, Attorney (retired) (Russia)
